Comments on: Punishing the Victim III: Teenager to be Executed for Killing Rapist

By: chai

chai — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 05:01:27 +0000

man, can’t believe it’s over. i loved your posts and will continue DNSI. much luck.

By: bengali

bengali — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 02:33:32 +0000

Sad to see your stint end, Dave. I really enjoyed your thoughtful posts.

By: dudette

dudette — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 20:40:39 +0000

whereas rape is not all around us I would beg to differ. The statistic today according to the CDC is 1 in 6. This study published in 2000 estimates that 1 in 4 college-aged women have been sexually assaulted.

rupa, yes, irealise this, this is why i said, "not atleast that we know of personally for most of us", that is to say, even if i knew the stats, most people generally, and i understand this is a generalisation which i am loath to do, so myabe i should say, i, dont know of people who have gone thru this. not that people i know havent, i simply dont know.

my point was that death is a much more concrete part of peopleslife, again, i am loath to say in general, than rape.

u mentioned u were/are a rape counsellor, i know of 2 others who are crisis counsellors, so to people who deal with this in that function or in law enforcement, it is much more of a daily occurence than lets say, average jan(e), who may not... s'all...

i always thought rape had primarily to do with control, wanting to lord it over someone else, to make them feel powerless... castration, chemical or otherwise, unless u could somehow psychologically change this thinking, would be pointless countermeasure, though it may seem like justice.

back to the original post, i wonder if these communities dont sanction out this sort of measure to discourage people from coming forward.. sort of best left alone so no one has to deal with it kind of thing...

By: Vandy Graf

Vandy Graf — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:22:53 +0000

Did the rape law change in India? Last I read something about it, the maximum time a rapist could get in prison was 7 years. That is if he was convicted and found guilty. That was long time ago, they might have amended the law.

By: Jacob Joseph

Jacob Joseph — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:14:17 +0000

Just a correction, in India rape is punishable by death.

By: Camille

Camille — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 17:56:11 +0000

Thanks for all your posts, Dave! Your analyses and the topics you brought up were always super interesting and engaging - definitely welcome reads.

I believe the best punishment for rape is Castration. It would be so much better as a deterent to rape than death, plus a more fitting punishment.

I had to comment on this. When I was younger I was a big fan of this idea, but realistically rape is not really about sex, but rather sexual violence. Further, castrating someone doesn't eliminate the capability to rape. Many women are object-raped, oftentimes by fully anatomically capable men. There are definitely underlying issues that we need to address re: sexual violence, sexism, and gender equality.

By: chick pea

chick pea — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 13:52:33 +0000

thanks for your posts, insights, and informative posts…

i can understand the frustration with the happy hippie thing…but sometimes this entire forum has to ‘laugh’…and lighten up… otherwise we’d be completely bombarded by all the deep thoughts and news that everyone has shared.. and possibly drown with the heaviness…

as willy wonka once said (yes, i’m quoting the great roald dahl), ‘a little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men’….something that i’ve tried to remember..

again, thanks for your time here on SM

By: Al_Mujahid_for_debauchery

Al_Mujahid_for_debauchery — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 13:25:13 +0000

O ye who believe! When ye deal with each other, in transactions involving future obligations in a fixed period of time, reduce them to writing Let a scribe write down faithfully as between the parties: let not the scribe refuse to write: as Allah Has taught him, so let him write. Let him who incurs the liability dictate, but let him fear His Lord Allah, and not diminish aught of what he owes. If they party liable is mentally deficient, or weak, or unable Himself to dictate, Let his guardian dictate faithfully, and get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her. The witnesses should not refuse when they are called on (For evidence). Disdain not to reduce to writing (your contract) for a future period, whether it be small or big: it is juster in the sight of Allah, More suitable as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves but if it be a transaction which ye carry out on the spot among yourselves, there is no blame on you if ye reduce it not to writing. But take witness whenever ye make a commercial contract; and let neither scribe nor witness suffer harm. If ye do (such harm), it would be wickedness in you

A lot of Islamic legal scholars make the argument that the above was only applicable to civil contracts (as women were generally not a part of the meccan business commnunity) and was not meant to be a general evidentiary rule applicable in all cases where women were to testify.

By: Jatin

Jatin — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 10:12:29 +0000

I believe the best punishment for rape is Castration. It would be so much better as a deterent to rape than death, plus a more fitting punishment. Also, Islamic Law might be unfair but rape victims in India fair no better, so many of them get away with it. The stigma attached to a rape victim resides in all societies, no matter how developed they might be.

By: Rupa

Rupa — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 09:48:05 +0000

whereas rape is not all around us

I would beg to differ. The statistic today according to the CDC is 1 in 6. This study published in 2000 estimates that 1 in 4 college-aged women have been sexually assaulted.